knowlton



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W, A. KNOWLTON.

GULTIVATOR. No. 254,657. Patented Mar. 7,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcLE. I

WILLIAM A. KNOWLTQN, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,557, dated March '7, 1882.

Application filed December 17, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KNOWL- TON, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cultivators known as straddle-row walking-cultivators, employed mainly in the cultivation of hilled or rowed crops; and the object of my invention is to support; a suitable portion of the weight of the shovel-beams and their attachment on the main frame mounted on the carrying-wheels, .to enable the operator to hairdle the plows with greater ease and more certainty, to support the plows in an elevated position independently in a manner to be readily lowered by means of the handles, and to securely fix the plows in an elevated position for the purpose of transportation, all of which and the means to accomplish these results will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a cultivator embodying my invention, of which Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an isometrical representation of the spring-case with pivoted lever-cap removed. Fig. 4 is an isometrical representation of the pivoted lever-cap removed from the springcase. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the spring-case with the spring in place therein,

and Fig. 6 is an isometrical representation of a modification of the spring-case. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the spring-case shown at Fig. 6, in which the pivoted detent is shown in its open position. 7

In the figures, A represents the usual arched axle, its end portions fitted to receive the carrying-wheels B. At 0 are representedtonguebeams, suitably connected in front of the axle by means of the transverse beams D, producing a tongue-frame of the usual form. The rear end portion of the beams O of this tongueframe are fixed to the vertical portion of the axle at or near their upper ends by means of a suitable metallic clasp, E, fitted to span the vertical portion of the axle. Theframe is suitably braced to the axle by the braces F and G.

At N is represented an evener of the usual form, centrally pivoted to the under side of the transverse beam D.

At H are represented pendants, having a hinge-joint connection at their upper ends with the end portions of the evener N, and their lower ends are suitably connected with the axle by means of a link, as represented at d. These pendants are provided with a series of holes, as at d, by means of which the singletrees, to which the team is to be attached, may be connected and adjusted vertically. The metallic clasps E are each provided with a lateral projection, e, on the outer portionof which is formed a spring-case, c, which is of cylindrical-drum form, having its axial centers provided with an outward-projecting shaft, 0, which extends beyond the plane of its rimedge.

At f is represented a double detent, in this to stand free from the wall of the casein such a manner as to receive the hooking end portion h of the volute spring h. This volute spring, as represented at h in place in the spring-case, is formed from suitable plate or ribbon material coiled in a suitable volute form to enter the case, having its outer-end bent in hook form, as at h, to engage the detent, and its inner end bent in the inward hooking form shown at h to engage the radial slots in the shaft of the removable cap.

At I is represented the removable cap of the spring-case. This cap is formed with an axial tubular shaft, 6, projecting from its inner face, adapted to receive the axial shaft 6 of the case.

The tubular shaft 6 of the cap is provided with IOO hook on its inner and will engage one of the radial slots of the tubular shaft of the removable cap in such position that the uneoiling actio'n of the spring will operate to carry the r-a-dial arm of the cap over forward toward the position as seen in the dotted lines. This overcarrying action of the spring can be increased or lessened in force by changing the position of the cap, so that other of the radial grooves in one'or the other direction will engage theinner hook end of the spring. These several parts, put together in the manner described, and properly adjusted to give the required spring force, are held in position by meansof axial shaft of the case projecting beyond the removable cap. v

AtK are represented the shovel-beams,which are of the usual curved form, having their forward ends joined to each other, and by means of a suitable hinge-joint are connected to the horizontal end portions of the crank-formed axle. These shovel-beams are supported in their separated position rearward by means of a tubular transverse bar, Z, placed between them. Theseshovel-beams and the handle L aresecurely held in their relative position by means of a suitable screw-bolt, m, which is passed through the several parts and firmly clamped in position by means of its screw-nut.

At a are represented the cultivator teeth,

9 which are of the usual shovel form,and are connected to the beams in the usual manner.

At 0 is represented a supportin'gdink, of rod material, having a suitable hook or hinge-joint connection with the tubular transverse bar 1, or other suitable or convenient portion of the shovel-beams, and at its forward end to the radial arm is of the spring-case.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the action of the spring will operate to relieve the downward pressure of the plows and render them easy of operation; but by reason of the relative position of the radial arm of the spring-case with the lengthwise direction of the supporting-link the action of the spring will be less effective upon the plows when they are in working position, but when in their dotted-line position will operate to hold them suspended for the purpose of carrying the plows in turning at the ends of the rows, or in getting into position to employthe plows, and from which suspended position they may be readily detached by means of a sudden increased downward pressure upon the handles. This holding force may be varied to any degree between a holding point from which the plows cannot be disconnected by a down: ward force exerted on the handles and a nonholding point, or a point at which the device will be incapable of holding the plows in an elevated position, by simply bending the supporting-rod less or more, or in one or the other direction, up or down at the pointp in such a manner that the rod, as represented in dotted lines, resting upon the upper surface of the spring-case, will permitthe free end of the radial arm kto descend more or less asthe rod is bent more or less at the pointp, which will pension-rod between them when the plows are elevated. These ears are perforated in the lengthwise direction of the axis of the springcase, and at such a point as to receive a suitable pin or'cotter above the suspension-rod 'when the plows are in their elevated position. a pin or cotter passed through the end of the r I At t is represented a pin of proper dimensions to enter the perforated ears above the suspension-rod, when the plows are elevated, whichis employed to securely hold the plows from accidental displacement in transportation. In this instance the pins t have a suit able chain-link connection with the machinein position convenient for use.

It will be observed from this construction of the spring-case that it is interchangeable' represented in Fig. 6, the rim thereof at any suitable point is opened, as represented at w, in the lengthwise direction of its axis, prefer-- ably having one of its end portions produced upon a tangent to the main circle of the case,

or in any other suitable form to produce an opening in the rim to receive the outer hooking end portion of the spring, having its hook portion receive or embrace the end portion of the rim of the ease in such a mannerthat if from accident or mistake the radial arm It should be turned in the wrong direction, or in such a manner as to unwind the coils of the volute spring, its outer hook end would be disen-: gaged from the case to prevent breaking or otherwise injuring the spring. 7

At 8 are represented outward-curving ears rising from the end portions of the spring-case on its upper side.

At t is represented a detent pivoted to the upper end oftheinner uprisingear of the springcase in such a manner as to swing on its pivotal connection in the lengthwise direction of the axis of the spring-case, and when in its closed position will span the space between the. ears, and its forked free end at u will engage the supporting link and operate to hold the plows in their elevated position, and when in its open position, as represented in Fig. 7, will permit the supporting-link to rise from between the uprising ears and the plows to be'lowered to their working position, and in this open position of the pivoted detent its free pointed up- I per end at n will incline outward and upward, as in Fig. 7, and serves to enlarge the space between the outer ends of the ears to more certainly receive the supporting-linkin elevating the plows. In this construction I prefer to produce the cases in pairs, to be employed on opposite sides of the machine in such a manner that when in use the outer hook end will engage the inner end portion of the rim, in which instance the turning of the radial arm is in the wrong direction will operate to carry the free end of the springinside of the springcase when disconnected from the end portion thereof; butit is obvious that a case constructed as herein described may be successfully employed in the opposite direction to that above described, in which instance the outer hook end of the spring would engage the outer end of the rim of the case, and when forced from its connection therewith by turning the radial arm in the wrong direction the spring would be disengaged from its connection with the end portion of the rim and pass outward through the openingto prevent injury to the spring.

- In the foregoing I have employed a case in which to inclose the volute spring, which arrangement I prefer; but it is evident that the spring may be employed without the case, and for this purpose a suitable outward projecting or overhanging arm at the base of the uprising and outward-inclining ears may be fitted toreceive the outer hook end of the spring, and in connection with the slotted tubular shaft of the radial arm, with or without the disk-cap, serve to perform the functions of the incased spring above described, and by this construction the device may be made interchangeable and capableof use on both sides of the machine.

Instead of the cylindrical tubular shaft 1', radially slotted or grooved to receive the inner hook end of the spring, a tubular shaft, rectangular in section, or of other equivalent form, may be employed, and instead of the hook on the inner end of the spring, it may be fitted 5 spring provided with the cap I and radial arm k, and link-connection o, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Thecombination, with the volute spring mounted upon the supporting-frame of acultivator and a supporting link connection with the shovel-beams, of the uprising ears or other equivalent, to receive the supporting-link when the shovel-beams are elevated, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as herein described, of the axle, the tongue-beams, and the herein-described spring-support with spring mounted therein, aradial arm, and link connection with the shovel beams, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.-

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with the cultivator frame, drag-bar, and connecting-rod, of the drum-like portion of the spring-case, a removable cap with radial arms attached,and a volute spring, the said parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described.

5. The herein-described spring-case, consisting of the drum-like portion fitted to engage the outer end portion of the spring, and provided with an axial shaft, a cap provided with an axial tubular shaft to receive the axial shaft of the drum-like portion of the case, and fitted to engage the inner end of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

WILLIAM A. KNOWLTON. Witnesses:

W. L. RUTLEDGE,

A. O. BEHEL. 

